The musings, opinions, thoughts, and complaints of a political minded Canadian citizen.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Slogans, Logos and Thoughts: 3. Ryan Meili

Ryan Meili

Slogan: Better Together

Initial Thoughts: Unfortunately, the Meili Campaign has fallen into the same problem as the other campaigns; in that the slogan being used is very similar to another, in this case to Trent Wotherspoon's "Forward Together". However, the approach is very different than Cam or Erin's. Whereas those two campaigns are focused on helping to define the candidate, Ryan is taking a grander approach by defining what the party and province would be like with him at the helm.

Effectively, Ryan's slogan suggests that his campaign is about bringing people together, regardless of their political stripes and inclinations. It suggests that he is focused on leading the province, not just as an NDPer, but as a uniting figure that thinks the best approach is the one that brings the widest bunch of supporters to it. It's a message of inclusion, more or less.

Logo:

Like Erin's, Ryan's logo is mostly based around his name and slogan, though with a bit more artwork to it. And like Cam's, there is a bit of subtlety here. If we assume that the orange half circle in the logo is the sun, and the sun rises in the east, this is a rather clever suggestion that a "new day is dawning". It's actually pretty clever, if one stops to take a moment to think about it.

Campaign Approach (Thus Far):

Ryan's approach thus far as been pretty relaxed; if only because unlike the Erin (the other non-sitting MLA candidate), Ryan's profile is already pretty high given his last stab at the leadership. Ryan's main approach thus far seems to be about getting in touch with as many people as possible and building policy and momentum from there and building an 'inclusive democracy' right from the start of the campaign.

Final Thoughts:

Again, I've got to be a little harsh on the slogan, which I think most stems from just being astonished with how close all of them are to one another. It's a good message, and it comes across, but it comes across better when explained directly by Ryan rather than by a slogan. As for the logo, it is a bit of a thinking man's logo. It's subtle that some people might miss the implications upon first viewing, but also surprisingly blunt when you get it that there isn't much room for interpretation.

As for Ryan's approach, it's a good approach but it is also a risky one. Directly connecting with members isn't as flashy as some of the other approaches, especially once the legislative session gets started, and there is some worry that the campaign could make the least splash in terms of remaining visible. However, this could also be a boon if it is indeed Ryan's intention to remain outside the legislature until the next election. By building on the notion of a candidate who is out and connecting with voters, he could be hoping to be seen as a leader who would continue to keep that alive; and it's a very good position to be in.